Delayed Does Not Mean Denied

It may have been during Covid lockdown or shortly thereafter, I had a chance to watch a documentary. This one was about basketball player turned coach, Dawn Staley. It showed a bunch, but the thing that stuck out about the former player who’d won three Olympic Gold Medals as a player, then another gold as a coach wasn’t her play or her stats or accolades.

The team she coached made the college finals and lost. Coach Staley hung a sign or a banner or something in the locker room that read, “Delayed does not mean denied.” You’ve probably heard “In God’s time” or “God’s time is different then my time” or something along those lines. Things happen differently than laid out in our mind or envisioned most of the time. Some things may never come to pass and others are delayed. Sometimes things have to align behind the scenes in ways we can’t see things are lining up for our one event, but that may take some time too.

I have a near and dear friend that I’ve know since my Senior year of high school. We had a chance to talk yesterday and she shared she’d purchased a Baby Grand piano. I knew she played, but I didn’t know she wanted a baby grand. She told me that she’s wanted one since she was 16 and decided it was time to buy one. She and her husband searched extensively and found a place with an excellent reputation within five hours of their home. They visited, chose their piano and scheduled delivery. My friend is quite practical when it comes to finances and although a new piano was well within her means, she chose to purchase a used one. The piano was delivered as agreed and about a week later her husband had a couple of questions and called the store.

The store proprietor answered her husband’s questions. He also asked if they noticed the difference in the piano. He informed them that although they’d agreed to a used piano and that’s what they had purchased and paid for, he felt compelled to provide them a new one at no additional cost! The cost of the new piano was nearly double the price of what my friend paid, but the owner was more than happy to absorb all the cost, never say a word, and help her achieve a thirty plus year old dream!

When we move towards a thing, others can tell. She’d been drawn towards purchasing a piano for over thirty years and for one reason or another she didn’t. Once she made a decision, put in the effort to locate one, and actually purchased the piano, she’d made a small concession and purchased used instead of new. Some force beyond my comprehension compelled the store owner to upgrade her purchase at no cost. Some force compels me to keep going. Some force compels others to keep you going too. Some force, which I choose to call God or my Creator, compels others to aid in our journey. That same force ensures that although the timing may not be what we thought it would be, that “delayed does not mean denied.”

Today, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, I am grateful that:

Ann and I got a chance to catch up. We hadn’t spoken in months. I’d called shortly after getting out of the hospital, but wasn’t able to talk long. Her kids and husband, along with work, are all doing well. She, as always, was more

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